My strict teacher instincts kick in, overriding the butterflies in my stomach. It’s hard not to be captivated by Nate’s good looks. He’s dressed more casually today in a pair of jeans and a dark gray T-shirt that hugs his frame tight. His arms look massive, and his chest is wide enough to write on. Nate’s hair is slicked back with a bit of gel, a pair of sunglasses pushed back to sit on his head.
My fingers twitch to reach out to him, to drag through his hair as I mouth at his jawline. He’s so nice and tall, like a sturdy tree.
A tree I want to climb all over.
Jesus. Not in front of the kids, Eve.
“You can’t be here,” I tell him firmly.
“I can’t?” he replies, a light cockiness to his tone. Why do I find it so infuriatingly sexy? “But I work here too.”
“Temporarily.”
“But I do work here.” Nate’s smug face leaves me simultaneously aroused and frustrated.
I sigh. “I mean that you’re interrupting. Class is in session.”
My children swarm Nate, forming a circle around him so that he can neither move forward nor retreat. My girls stare at him timidly, giggling and laughing to one another. Alexander stays next to me, frowning at Nate suspiciously.
“What’re you doing here?” Natasha asks. “Are you here to see Miss Eve?”
Nate chuckles. “I am, actually.”
My heart skips a beat, but I immediately tell it to calm the F down.
We shouldn’t be seen together. Sitting just one room over are the kids’ parents, waiting to pick them up after their lesson. If any one of their chatty dance moms sees Nate here, there’s no telling what sorts of things they’ll insinuate to keep the rumor mill turning. I can’t even come up a good excuse as to why he’s here.
Looking at me like that.
There are kids present, for goodness sake.
Alexander tugs at my elbow. “Do you want me to get rid of him for you?” he offers. “I can kick him in the leg. That always works with my big brothers.”
I laugh softly and shake my head. “No, that’s all right. I’ll talk to him.”
The girls have officially formed a circle around Nate, more focused on his good looks than the lesson I’m trying to teach.
“First position, everybody.” I have to clear my throat and clap my hands twice before I’m finally able to pry their attention away. “Please,” I add for good measure.
While the children shuffle to their starting spots, I slip behind them to stand next to Nate. He looks stupidly triumphant.
“Nate, what are you doing here?”
He holds out a small slip of paper. “Here.”
“What is it?”
“My address.”
I shoot a quick glance to my kids. None of them seem to have heard us. I lower my voice and whisper back, “Why are you giving it to me?”
Nate grins. “So you’ll know how to get there for dinner tonight.”
The butterflies in my stomach decide to have a bit of a party, swirling around to the point I almost lose my balance. I hold back a nervous giggle that threatens to bubble past my lips.
“You seem awful confident that I’ll come.”
“What? You have plans or something?”
I cross my arms and smirk. “What if I do?”
He shrugs. “Cancel them.”
I roll my eyes, but I can’t hide the amusement in my tone. “What if I already have dinner plans with my mother?”
“Bring her along.”
“Seriously?”
Nate nods slowly. There’s a softness to his smile, a tenderness that has the air catching in my throat. “Sure,” he says calmly. “It won’t be as romantic, mind you.” He takes a single step forward and whispers in my ear. “It’s up to you, Eve. I hope I’m not disappointed.”
With that, Nate leaves as quickly as he came.
I stand there motionless for a few moments, the warmth of his breath and the deep vibration of his voice still ringing in my ear.
I unfold the piece of paper he gave me. For a doctor, Nate’s got surprisingly neat writing. I adore the loops of his L’s and the long dashes across his T’s. Beneath the address, he’s left me a little note.
Don’t actually bring your mother. I’ll see you at eight.
I fight against the laughter that rises through me.
I genuinely don’t know what to do.
A part of me really wants to go. The thought of spending time with him, maybe seeing where the night leads fills me with an excitement I haven’t felt in years. But I’m also hesitant. I don’t know where things are going between us. What does Nate think of me? What does he take me for? Does he just want to fool around while he’s in town?
The idea of being his plaything has me conflicted. I admittedly like the idea of having him on top of me, pleasing me within an inch of my life. I like it a lot. Nate managed to make me climax three times in maybe fifteen or twenty minutes.